Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Although you may know about the features and benefits of steel roofing, you may still have a hard time imagining what a steel roof could look like on your home or cottage. That is exactly why we developed our Style & Colour Showcase Tool!

This easy-to-use tool will let you get a good sense of the aesthetic value a steel roof can add to your home. With multiple roofing profiles and many colour options available, there is a steel roof to suit any type of house or cottage.

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

One of the frequently asked questions when considering a Steel Building System is, "How can storm water be managed effectively?" Traditional flat roofing systems use the roof area to hold the storm water and gradually allow it to drain into the existing storm sewers. However, this practice is coming under increasing scrutiny for several structural, environmental & maintenance reasons including the increasing risk of roof leaks, particularly as the membrane ages. Described in this Fact Sheet are ways that Steel Building Systems can cost effectively manage storm water runoff.

Natural hydrologic balances are often adversely affected by land development. The most significant change is an increase in storm water runoff caused by adding impervious surfaces such as roofs, streets and parking areas. High runoff volumes and greater peak flow rates following property development can result in millions of dollars in damage causing:

Overloads on existing storm sewers

Overloads on existing sewage treatment plants

Lower groundwater tables

Soil erosion

Increased pollution of streams and lakes

Excessive siltation of streams and lakes.

To minimize these affects, an analysis of the capabilities of existing downstream storm water facilities is an essential part of pre-development planning.

What is Storm Water Management

Stormwater management is the practice of controlling storm runoff from urban areas to reduce the impacts of development on the downstream environment. Generally, runoff quantity is controlled, but water quality improvements may also be a design consideration.

Quantity control, which mitigates flooding and erosion, consists of:

peak flow control

restriction or optimization of downstream flow rates

temperature regulation

Quality control, which mitigates environmental impacts, reduces:

suspended solids, trash and grit

floatable oils and chemicals

heavy metals

nitrogen and phosphates

Deep sandy soils will naturally filter impurities from storm water as it infiltrates to recharge ground water. In areas of shallow soil or fragmented rock, storm water may enter the groundwater quickly making infiltration controls necessary to prevent contamination.

Stormwater Management Solutions

A) Rooftop

Retaining water on the roof is a common approach to manage storm water. This method utilizes the flat roof area, in conjunction with controlled flow drains, to slow down the discharge of the storm water into the storm sewer.

Rainwater, including water from the roof, may be retained on the paved areas. Discharge of water from the catch basins is controlled by outlet devices that restrict flow.

Costs:
- Minimal

Benefits:
- Most expense is in the design/approval stage
- Grading can be used to direct the runoff flow and keep water on the property
- Piped storm systems control and direct discharge to the downstream drainage system

When control is needed, subsurface detention systems fabricated from corrugated steel pipe (CSP) have proven to be an effective means of attenuating runoff peaks.

These detention systems work as an integral part of the storm sewer system and provide a temporary storage area for excess storm water. Underground detention units begin storing runoff water when inflow exceeds the permissible discharge rate, The detention system accumulates water and discharges it over an extended time period.

CSP underground detention systems can be sized and shaped to meet most site-specific storage needs. Lightweight sections can be assembled quickly to reduce installation costs and shorten site development time. Versatility in sizing, shapes and fittings allow the designer to detail almost any configuration conceivable. Manholes, sumps, elbows, and tees are factory made, simplifying field installation.

The durability of CSP detention systems need not be a concern. Storm runoff is generally not aggressive to metallic coated steel and granular backfill forms a mild environment. When more corrosive effluents are anticipated, alternate coatings, and heavier walled pipe are options that can be used to meet almost any service life requirement.

Benefits:
- Convenient location - underground
- Less inconvenience to pedestrians
- Staged discharge possible
- Manages volume to improve functionality of water quality management system
- May be designed for ground water recharge
- May be designed for retention and supplemental water uses

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

#1 - Choice of style and colour to suit any home. There are several styles and colours of vertical rib, standing seam, tile and shingle profile to complement any style home. The only difficulty is deciding which one is best for your home!

#2 - Quality materials that will stand the test of time. All sheet steel in a steel roofing products has one thing in common: they are fabricated from metallic coated, high quality, sheet steel. This material is also prepainted for additional corrosion protection and enhanced aesthetics. There is a range of steel properties and coatings available that provide flexibility in choosing the appropriate material to suit your anticipated environmental conditions and budget.

#3 - Steel roofing can save you money. The average life of a non-steel roof is 17 years: asphalt can require re-roofing every 10 to 20 years or sooner. A steel roof offers unmatched durability lasting 2 to 3 times longer: as much as 40 to 60 years and beyond. Although a steel roof initially costs more than an asphalt roof, you will actually save money in the decades to come. An asphalt roof may have to be replaced 2 or 3 times during the same lifetime as one steel roof!

#4 - Durable in many different weather conditions. It can withstand wind forces to 120 mph, and since it is steel, it offers greater protection from fire and termites. Steel can also resist damage due to freezing and thawing because of the nonporous exterior. In fact, a steel roof may be the last roof you ever need. A steel roof has the durability of commercial-grade roofing material, and offers the richness and beauty to enhance your home's appearance.

#5 - Helping the environment - one steel roof at a time. The total recycled content found in Canadian manufactured steel used for roofing is a minimum of 25% and can be greater than 95% depending on the steel making process. Both these values represent industry leading levels of recycled content. Steel is the world's most recycled material, and in North America, over 88 million tonnes of steel are recycled annually. A steel roof can often be installed over your current roof, greatly reducing tear-off and disposal of old roofing material in landfills.

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

The Canadian suppliers to our CSSBI member companies have introduced prepainted product lines to deliver improved performance for today and well into the future: Perspectra Series™ and WeatherX™. These systems are the result of an extensive investigation of the most current paint system technologies for sheet steel products. They can be applied to either a hot dip galvanized or a 55% aluminum-zinc alloy coated steel to meet a broad range of interior and exterior applications. These are cost-effective systems designed to provide outstanding weathering performance and corrosion resistance.

In both field and accelerated laboratory testing the Perspectra Series™ and WeatherX™ paint systems deliver a durable finish for outstanding results. They have shown excellent performance in intensive exposure to UV radiation, and far more severe conditions than typically found in the Canadian marketplace. The standard performance specification provides:

40 year film integrity (no peeling or cracking)

30 year colour retention and resistance to fading

30 year chalk resistance

These paint systems can also be solar reflective to meet the requirements of emerging standards for “cool roofing”.